1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle proximity warning apparatus, method and program.
2. Description of the Related Art
Intersections and other road junctions where visibility is poor present danger of an accident between vehicles or between a vehicle and a pedestrian. To avoid such an accident, vehicle proximity warning devices are known, which devices inform other vehicles and pedestrians of the approach of a user's vehicle to an intersection. In one type of such vehicle proximity warning devices, a laser beam is emitted from a laser beam generator mounted in a vehicle such that the road surface is illuminated by the emitted laser beam. When the vehicle is running straight, the laser beam is emitted forward, in the direction in which the vehicle is traveling. When the steering wheel is turned, the laser beam is emitted in the same direction as the direction of steering. The direction of the laser beam is changed depending on the braking distance of the vehicle in the device disclosed, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 6-270752).
However, in the known vehicle proximity warning apparatus described above, the illumination of the road surface is not based on the distance from the vehicle to the intersection, and thus it is difficult to correctly illuminate the road surface in an intersection.
Therefore, it is difficult to ensure that other vehicles or pedestrians are properly informed of the proximity of the user's vehicle.